NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — You can use oil to cook with, but would you swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes every day, all in the name of beauty and better health?

As CBS 2’s Kristine Johnson, “oil pulling” is a growing trend that borrows from a centuries-old tradition that using different kinds of oil for healing.

Jessica Danvers said her bright while smiles comes courtesy of a container of coconut oil, which she began using as an alternative to conventional teeth whiteners.

“I used a gazillion different strips and ointments and things like that, and my teeth are super-sensitive now,” she said.

Manhattan endocrinologist Dr. Florence Comite described the method as “putting oil in the oral cavity in the mouth, and swishing it around and keeping it going for a while — the notion being you’re pulling out toxins from the body.”

Comite said whiter teeth isn’t the only benefit.

“There’s the thinking that you’re actually rebalancing the body, and in effect, you’re having an impact on lots of different conditions,” she said.